2010 International Conference on Digital Manufacturing & Automation

Recycling Coal Gangue as Raw Material for Portland Cement Production in Dry
Rotary Kiln

Guohua Qiu1,2, Weiqiang Zeng1, Zhenglun Shi1,*, Leming Cheng1, Zhongyang Luo1
1
State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
2
College of Communication Engineering, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
qiuguohua@zju.edu.cn

Abstract—Coal gangue (CG) is one of industrial solid wastes 0.95±0.03, silica modulus (SM) = 2.60±0.10, iron modulus
with biggest discharging. The disposal of such a large quantity (IM) = 1.50±0.10. After calcinations, the chemical
of this solid waste requires lots of land and many serious compositions of clinkers were also measured, mineral
environmental problems have been occurred. In this paper, component of clinker samples were quantitatively analyzed
CG as one of cement raw materials, and production
by XRD, and their performances were tested and so on.
experiments were performed in a 5000t·d-1 dry process rotary
Professional engineers kept watching on the whole product
kiln to calcinations Portland cement clinker. The
thermogravimetric analyses, ash melting point test, X-ray
line. The production process flowchart for cement clinker
diffraction (XRD), chemical composition of CG were formula with CG is shown in Fig.1.
measured. Utilization CG as clay for cement raw meal
preparations, and a study was done for calcinations clinkers
and test their performance and so on. The results revealed that
CG can replace clay for Portland cement. The average output
of clinker per day was increased 8.23%, and the usage of the
standard coal was decreased 3.94%. The technology reference
provide for CG can widely use in cement industry.*

Keywords-Coal gangue (CG); thermogravimetric analyses;

X-ray diffraction (XRD); dry process rotary kiln

Figure 1. The production process flowcharts for cement clinker formula

I. INTRODUCTION
Coal gangue (CG) is one of industrial solid wastes with
biggest discharging. It is come from when coal is excavated
and washed in the production course [1]. CG has been the
biggest wastes in China. The disposal of such a large
quantity of this solid waste requires lots of land and many
serious environmental problems have been occurred [2, 3].
How to recycle the CG and improve the quantity of recycled
resources have become very important to our environment.
Its major chemical composition is SiO2 and Al2O3, and its
major mineralogical composition is quartz and kaolinite and
so on. One kind of effective method is used widely the waste
as one of cement raw materials for product Portland cement.
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
CG was selected from Anyuan in Jiangxi Province.
Limestone, iron powder and sandstone were come from a
5000t·d-1 dry process rotary kiln cement company. The
thermogravimetric (TG) analyses, ash melting point test, X-
ray diffraction (XRD), chemical composition and so on for
CG were measured. In order to safe production, the CG were
added by gradually increased from 0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 6% to
7% (the corresponding numbers were No.A1, A2, A3, A4,
A5, A6), while clay was decreased. Cement raw materials
were blended in proportions following the cement modulus
used by cement industry: lime saturation coefficient (LSF) =
*
Corresponding author: szl@cmee.zju.edu.cn
with CG
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSS
A. Chemical Composition and Ash Melting Point Analysis
of CG
Chemical composition and ash melting point of coal
gangue and clay are shown in table I. Chemical composition
of the CG is similar to the clay. So that, CG can replaces
clay to produce cement. The ash melting point of Anyuan
CG is between 1176 to 1212 while the clay is up to 1400
[4], which indicates that the energy consumption of
burning cement raw meal with CG is lower than that of clay.
B. Thermogravimetric (TG) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
Analyses for CG
The thermogravimetric (TG) analyses for CG was carried
out in TGA/SDTA 851e from Mettler-Toledo Company in
Switzerland. Using the air as the atmosphere, and design the
heating rate was 20 ℃ /min, the sample had been kept
warming for 20 min at 1100℃. The TG/DTG for CG is
shown in Fig.2. Temperature was increased to 400 ℃. The
CG began to mass loss, and volatile matter was given out at
the same time. The mass was little change when the
temperature arrived at 750℃ [5]. It indicate that the igniting
point of CG between 450 to 500 ℃. The decomposition and
exothermic process of CG was completed in preheated

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DOI 10.1109/ICDMA.2010.310
system. This heat was used to decomposition for limestone, analysis for CG was investigated. Figure 3 show that the CG
and improved limestone decomposes to lime, which benefit contains quartz, muscovite, kaolinite and dolomite and so
from sinter clinker and save energy consumption. XRD on.
Table I. Chemical composition and ash melting point of coal gangue and clay
Chemical composition (%) Ash melting point (℃)
Name
a b
LOI SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 CaO MgO ∑ DT ST c HT d FT e
CG 11.73 52.41 16.21 7.91 7.20 2.64 98.10 1176 1200 1206 1212
Clay 5.74 62.85 16.31 8.69 0.35 0.89 94.83 1409 1460 1472 1491
a. LOI, Loss on ignition. b. DT, Distortion temperature. c. ST, Softening temperature. d. HT, Hemisphere temperature. e. FT, Flow temperature.

Table III. Raw material proportion in raw meal (%)

No. CG Sandstone Limestone Iron powder
A1 - 8.50 88.00 3.50
A2 1.00 8.10 89.50 1.40
A3 3.00 7.50 87.00 2.50
A4 5.00 3.00 90.00 2.00
A5 6.00 2.00 89.00 3.00
A6 7.00 1.50 88.50 3.00

Figure 2. TG analysis of the CG

Table IV. Chemical composition of raw meal and designed modulus of
clinkers (%)

Composition A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6

LOI 34.24 34.19 34.25 34.24 33.51 33.87

SiO2 13.87 13.78 13.91 13.84 13.92 14.17

Al2O3 3.26 3.24 3.27 3.26 3.14 3.37

Fe2O3 2.26 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.08 2.19

Figure 3. XRD spectrum of the CG
CaO 43.47 43.45 43.50 43.46 43.80 43.20
C. Production Materials Analysis
MgO 1.62 1.59 1.60 1.63 1.90 2.03
Table II, III and IV are Chemical composition of raw
material, Raw material proportion in raw meal and Chemical ∑ 98.73 98.52 98.77 98.68 98.33 98.83
composition of raw meal and designed modulus of clinkers.
LSF 0.96 0.97 0.96 0.96 0.98 0.93
D. Chemical Composition and Mineral Component of
SM 2.51 2.51 2.52 2.51 2.67 2.55
Clinkers Analysis
Chemical composition of clinkers and the content of free IM 1.44 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.53 1.54
lime (f-CaO) are shown in Table V. It indicated that all of
the formulas can sinter cement clinker. The content of f-CaO Table V. Chemical composition of clinkers and the content of f-CaO (%)
was decreased when CG was increased in raw meal. Composition A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6
Table II. Chemical composition of raw material（%）
SiO2 22.12 22.00 22.06 21.63 22.05 21.84
Composition Limestone Iron powder Sandstone Coal ash
Al2O3 5.91 5.00 5.13 5.46 5.17 5.03
LOI 37.76 - 3.23 -
Fe2O3 3.76 3.48 3.58 3.49 3.46 3.58
SiO2 7.57 36.8 79.27 43.49
Al2O3 2.31 7.50 8.60 25.88 CaO 63.22 65.71 65.61 64.72 65.40 65.21

Fe2O3 0.96 43.93 3.77 11.88 MgO 2.62 2.85 2.79 2.88 2.48 2.39
CaO 47.93 3.87 1.16 5.21 SO3 0.81 0.68 0.69 0.68 0.67 0.65
MgO 1.67 3.38 1.31 5.00 ∑ 98.45 99.72 99.87 98.86 99.23 98.70
∑ 98.18 95.47 97.34 91.46 f-CaO 1.75 1.99 1.71 1.50 1.19 1.11

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 The mineral components of clinkers were carried out by
XRD analysis. Figure 4 and 5 are XRD spectrum of clinker
A5 and A1. Comparing to the two figures, clinker A5 was
advantage to clinker A1. The first one has contented 55.8％
to 3CaO·SiO2, 23.0％ to 2CaO·SiO2, 8.6％ to 3CaO·Al2O3
and 10.2 ％ to 4CaO·Al2O3·Fe2O3. The content of early
strength and high-strength mineral (3CaO·SiO2) was
increased in clinker A5.
Figure 4. XRD spectrum of clinker A5
E. Performance Analysis of Clinker
Physical properties of clinkers are shown in Table VI.
Every performance of clinkers was satisfied with Portland
cement index. The average compressive strength of CG
formula was arrived at 55.7 MPa, while the average of
formula without CG only was arrived at 55.2 MPa. The
strength index for every age of CG was superior to clay. The
performance was stable when utilization CG as one of
cements raw materials.
F. Production Operation Analysis
Production experiments were performed in a 5000t·d-1
dry process rotary kiln to calcinations Portland cement
clinker. The operation was stable, and all parameters were
fine. Comparison of clinker production index between
mixing with CG and without CG in different month is shown
in Table VII. During utilize CG as one of raw materials, the
average output of clinker per day was increased 8.23%, and
the usage of the standard coal was decreased 3.94%, the
compressive strength for clinker in 28 day was increased
0.5MPa, other index were almost similar.
IV. DISCUSS
The energy for sinter cement clinker was mainly spent in
mineral dehydration, decomposition and melting in mineral
clusters. Low melting-point of CG is benefit to sinter clinker,
and liquid state appeared early which 2CaO·SiO2 and f-CaO
gradually dissolute in the liquid state. Diffusivity of Ca2+
react with 2CaO·SiO2 and [SiO4]4 which depolymerized
－

from Si-O bond of mineral CG, and come into being

3CaO·SiO2. The 3CaO·SiO2 is the main mineral of Portland
cement. So the strength of clinker is increased [7]. The low
decompositions point of mineral are easy to speed up solid-
state reaction earlier, and generate 2CaO·SiO2, 3CaO·Al2O3
Figure 5. XRD spectrum of clinker A1 and 4CaO·Al2O3·Fe2O3. Comparing CG to clay, it can
provide for amount of heat for decomposed the lime, so it
can save the energy consumption for sinter cement.
Table VI. Physical properties test of clinkers
Setting time Flexural strength Compressive strength
fineness
(h : min) (MPa) (MPa)
Water
No Stability
requirements (ml)
80μm residue on sieve (%) Initial Final 1d 3d 28d 1d 3d 28d

A1 122 3.2 2:18 3:35 qualified 2.4 5.0 8.1 10.0 22.9 53.2

A2 118 2.8 1:42 3:18 qualified 3.5 5.9 8.2 17.9 33.9 60.4

A3 119 2.8 1:55 3:18 qualified 3.7 5.7 8.9 16.4 33.8 58.5

A4 117 2.4 2:05 3:09 qualified 3.4 6.0 8.7 14.9 32.1 57.3

A5 122 3.0 1:50 2:57 qualified 4.1 5.9 8.3 17.3 32.1 59.1

A6 119 2.9 2:01 3:16 qualified 4.3 6.3 8.6 18.5 32.6 60.2

Table VII. Comparison of clinker production index between adds CG and not adds CG in different month
The average The usage of Average flexural Average compressive
The content
output of the standard strength (MPa) strength (MPa)
Category f-CaO of
clinker per day coal
(t·d-1) (Kg·t-1)
clinker (%) 1d 3d 28d 1d 3d 28d
Clinker without CG 5421.73 106.70 1.57 3.3 5.8 8.4 14.9 31.2 57.2
Clinker with CG 5686.61 102.50 1.69 3.5 5.8 8.5 15.0 30.5 57.7

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 V. DISCUSS Management & Research, vol.26,2008, pp.515–522. doi: 10.1177/07
34242X08095072.
The energy for sinter cement clinker was mainly spent in [7] Fu Sengyong, Qing Zhigang, Yang Jianjiang, “Disadvantage of the
mineral dehydration, decomposition and melting in mineral clay materials (1st section),” Sichuan Cement. vol.1, 2005, pp.5-9.
clusters. Low melting-point of CG is benefit to sinter clinker,
and liquid state appeared early which 2CaO·SiO2 and f-CaO
gradually dissolute in the liquid state. Diffusivity of Ca2+
react with 2CaO·SiO2 and [SiO4]4 which depolymerized
－

from Si-O bond of mineral CG, and come into being

3CaO·SiO2. The 3CaO·SiO2 is the main mineral of Portland
cement. So the strength of clinker is increased [7]. The low
decompositions point of mineral are easy to speed up solid-
state reaction earlier, and generate 2CaO·SiO2, 3CaO·Al2O3
and 4CaO·Al2O3·Fe2O3. Comparing CG to clay, it can
provide for amount of heat for decomposed the lime, so it
can save the energy consumption for sinter cement.

VI. CONCLUSIONS
The conclusions can be drawn as follows:
(1) Every parameter was right, and it’s operate
condition was fine during CG as raw material for Portland
cement production in dry rotary kiln.
(2) The production was increased, the average output of
clinker per day was increased 8.23%, and the usage of the standard
coal was decreased 3.94%, the compressive strength for clinker in
28 day was increased. The efficiency of cement clinker was
improved.
(3) The technology reference provided for CG will
widely use in cement industry. It can provide a new
direction for CG recycle and continual development to the
cement industry.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support
from “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” the National key
technologies R&D Program of China (No.2006BAC21B02).
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